Classics

It's not often that I lament letting my PlayStation Plus subscription lapse, but today is one of those days. While I'm begrudgingly plunking down $9.99 of my hard-earned cash to have Devolver's Megaton Edition of the cl...

Ralph Baer was an electronics and engineering pioneer, known as the "father of videogames." Baer designed the Magnavox Odyssey, starting work on the machine in the late 1960s before releasing it in 1972, when it became the w...

Fancy the greatest classic gaming selection of all time? It's not at some fabled arcade where the sound of dropping quarters and eight-bit music drowns out the dimmed oldies rock station playing over the worn out speakers. No...

It's happening -- the day I thought I'd never see in a million years. 3D Realms is back, five years after closing its doors. Original members like Bryan Turner and Scott Miller are on board with the relaunch, having onboarde...

The Grid is a special denomination of Goodwill that opened up in Charlotte, North Carolina and caters to gamers and collectors. In other words, this ain't your grandma's Goodwill. You won't find vintage T-shirts or tacky over...

It's never been all about the graphics for me. I can appreciate slick environments and the ability to watch sweat roll down my rugged protagonist's brow. But truth be told, I've always had a thing for PlayStation-era graphics...

It has been a long time since we have seen or heard anything new about the classic arcade game Q*bert. Despite being such an iconic character for its time, the weird orange macaroni-nosed jumper never really rode the wave to ...

Ready to play Gauntlet? No, you haven't time-traveled to the 80's, and you don't need a pocket full of loose change. You just need a PC and $20.
In preparation for E3, Arrowhead put out this trailer for its remake of Gauntle...

Are you a huge Metal Gear fan? Itching to get your hands on the game for one more run-through for old time's sake? What if I told you a group of independent modders had Konami's blessing to reboot the very first Metal Gear ga...

Maker of live-action videogame spoofs, El Gamer Cosplayer has released this video portraying old-school arcade game Kung-Fu Master. As they do in the game, bad guys fly across the screen, locked in the frozen moment of impac...

There doesn't seem to be any doubt about it, Thief will certainly live up to its namesake. In this 17-minute video that shows the game's first mission, Garrett gets his klepto on and does his best magpie impression, as ...

The title of this Thief video calls it a trailer, but I'd be hard-pressed to classify it as such. Not many trailers run six minutes, but whatever this is, it remains interesting the whole time. I guess badass thievery a...

Jan 24 //
Alessandro FillariThief (PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4 [previewed], Xbox 360, Xbox One, PC)Developer: Eidos MontrealPublisher: Square-EnixRelease Date: February 25, 2014
After a long absence from a job gone wrong with a reckless protege, Garrett returns to The City looking for answers about what happened. Finding the metropolis in a state of decay from a mysterious plague, Garrett must re-establish himself and discover the mysteries of the sickness along with its possible supernatural origins. Along the way, he'll pillage and loot the wicked and wealthy of the city while restoring his reputation as a master thief.
Ever since their showing at last year's E3, the developers at Eidos Montreal have been mindful of fan reactions towards the game, and they've since made a number of changes to the game's design and structure. One feature that received backlash from fans and critics alike was the experience points and leveling system. This element came off as jarring and broke the immersion of a stealth action game, as Garrett would receive headshot bonuses as if he were a soldier in a Call of Duty game.
As of last year, this facet of character growth has been entirely reworked and designed around a more grounded system, and of course by how much coin you've got on hand. Many of the items and gadgets that Garrett could level up and acquire before have been made available to various black marketeers and item shops, creating an in-game economy based on player needs. In addition to this, new items known as trinkets will decorate Garrett with accessories that give subtle increases to his abilities and skills while in the field.
Right from the opening menus in the title screen, Thief allows players to tailor their experience however they see fit. In the options screen, you can customize the HUD and gameplay by removing indicators and clues from the game world, and even turn off gameplay features such the Focus mode, which augments Garrett's sight and skills for duration of the focus meter.
To take the customization even further, you can even fine tune the difficulty and style of game to your liking. Along with the standard easy, medium, and hard (called Master Thief), there's an option available for Custom difficulty. When the custom mode is selected, you can set it to any of the previous difficulty modes in addition to a number of tweaks and changes to the style of game you're looking for.
Want to play on Master Thief difficulty with instant game over upon harming and/or alerting enemies? You can do that. Want to increase the challenge by raising the prices of black market items across the board and make a no-damage run through the game? Sure, absolutely you can. Want to do all the scenarios I've just listed and more in a single run? Go right ahead. The designers were clear to let players know that they can play the game in any way they want, and Thief will accommodate and provide the challenge.
During the opening hour of the game, players much venture through the streets of The City as martial law has been put in place. Garrett observes dialog from the guards and citizens learning what happened while getting back into the swing of things. Although this may sound restricted and guided, and it was -- because it was still the tutorial sequences -- there were plenty of moments to take your time and explore the space.
While entering a jewelry store, you can choose to loot the whole place, even though you only needed one item. Learn to use the shadows and Garrett's agility to move in and out of cover, and you'll have the guards none the wiser of your presence. The controls are fluid and swift, and players can move in and around the environment with ease. The light gem makes a return, which helps players see if they're visible or not.
A new skill known as the 'swoop' allows Garrett to make swift dashes in any direction during stealth and combat to evade attacks or the eyes of people on watch. Keeping on the move and at the ready is a key part of the stealth gameplay. While there is a focus on contextual situations for certain actions, such as jumping, I didn't find myself missing the option to jump manually. I found moving around with the sprint, maintaining momentum, and vaulting over objects with the contextual actions to feel pretty smooth. It's certainly different, but I honestly didn't feel too restricted by this approach, as much of the depth and level design was still dense with options.
It's clear that a lot of thought has went into the design of the stealth system for Thief, as each situation and setting features a variety of options for the player to engage in. While there’s plenty of stealth options on the streets, vertically also plays into it and you can observe situations and avoid enemies from the rooftops and rafters of buildings. Playing for skill is a big focus of the stealth gameplay, and after each central mission in Thief, players are graded and scored on their performance.
Moreover, stealth gameplay is judged between three styles of play. Ghost style focuses on not engaging enemies and staying unnoticed; predator style takes the aggressive approach rewarding players for stealth takedowns and combat; and opportunist is a mix of the two previous styles. How you play is up to you, and Thief's gameplay system will judge you accordingly. If you have any desire to repeat main missions, you can do so immediately after completion or in the main menu.
Upon arriving at the The City's clock tower, which also serves as Garrett's base of operations, the game opens up considerably, as the markets and streets of the city are densely packed with content. These streets serve as the HUB area of the game, where players can venture out and move towards new areas. Eventually, players will take Garrett to abandoned mansions used for nefarious purposes, and a brightly-lit brothel doubling as an opium den. Many of these players are a refreshing change of pace from the dark and dank streets of The City, and allow for players to adapt to new enemies and settings.
While there is a clear objective and destination, you can venture out of your clock tower and discover hidden treasure spots and optional quests to uncover in the nearby areas. It felt very open, somewhat like a sandbox. Some homes can even be entered and looted for valuable collectables. Deciding to take time away from your current objective can reward players with new side-quests and other missions.
Another new feature to spring out of the game's removal of the experience system are Focus Points. Throughout Garrett's quest around The City, he can meet certain characters that will reward him after quests with FP that can upgrade his core abilities. These points can go towards upgrading Garrett's skills in marksmanship, stealth, intuition, dexterity, speed, combat, sense, and his overall efficiency in completing jobs. Though keep in mind that FP are somewhat rare, and they'll have to be spent wisely.
How you manage resources is one of the most important skills players have to pick up. Thief takes a more classic approach to health and resource management, where health and focus meters need items to restore to full strength. Items such as arrows or potions are a risk, as being out in the field during main missions will leave you no access to vendors.
Visually, the game looks stunning. As I was playing this on PS4, I took advantage of a number of features using the touchpad. When you place your finger on the touchpad, a mini inventory grid pops up in real-time and sliding your finger across the pad can select items. It was a pretty neat feature and a cool way to use the touch capabilities, but I still found the traditional inventory screen (which can be switched to in the options menu) to be more my thing.
The stealth gameplay is very sharp and requires a lot of careful planning as there are a number of obstacles that can trip up Garrett. Some guards and houses in The City keep bird cages nearby, and any frantic action will cause the birds to panic and alert anyone nearby. Even during lockpicking, players must endure the risk of being spotted or altering guards -- messing up during opening safes will make noise and catch the attention of nearby guards.
Though if worse comes to worse, players can utilize Garrett's skills and gadgets to subdue foes. The thief's trusty blackjack and bow (with multiple arrow types) allows for both melee and ranged options. Moreover, focus mode during combat allows for Garrett to target specific enemies for an instant takedown.
To be totally honest, I found very little to enjoy about actual combat. I can understand Garrett's reluctance to engage in actual fights -- he's just not good at it. Fights feel clunky and cumbersome, attacks lack any sense of feedback, parrying with your blackjack comes off as awkward and futile when facing multiple foes, and the dodge feature can leave you in a sketchy spot while evading the enemy attack can cause you to lose track of where they are. I found myself avoiding fights and sticking with stealth takedowns, just so I wouldn't have to endure the fights.
Despite this, I still found much to like about my time with Thief after about four hours of play. During this period, I examined how I tend to play stealth games, and how this one manages to nudge me out of my comfort zone in places. Sometimes it pays off to be aggressive and forceful, but other times it's best to let things pass and be passive. It's rare when a game makes you analyze how you play, and Thief tasks players with making unique choices.
It's very clear that the developers at Eidos Montreal spent the last year looking at their game and fine tuning it with fan feedback and criticisms in mind. Even after his long absence, Garrett still has got some neat tricks up his sleeve. If you're of an open mind and willing to try out this new take on a classic series, you may find more to like about it than you think.

Sneak, loot, adaptBack in October, I got the chance to sit down to chat with members of Eidos Montreal after a lengthy session with the new entry in the Thief series. Since the reveal in 2009, the game has gone through many different iteration...

Back in the late '80s a game arrived on the Commodor Amiga that I think few played but was way ahead of the times. Midwinter was a survival, turn-based strategy title and a stealth-based, first-person RPG and Eurogamer is rep...

With the end of the year approaching, Sega let loose a nice surprise for fans on their Twitter page. Sonic & All-Stars Racing: Transformed is chock full of references and fan service, and now we can expect the return of S...

GOG.com has these 32 old Activision games all on sale right now for 60% off. Games like King's Quest, Zork, SWAT, and a bunch of other titles made before I was even born!
Or you can buy all 32 games for $97.29, a savings of $146.40. A pretty killer deal if you're into any of these old school titles. You have the entire weekend to nab this deal before it's gone.

The idea of remakes and reboots are a touchy subject but Sega is at least willing to listen to input from its fans about potentially bringing back classic titles. Sega Research and Development producer Yosuke Okunari says tha...

Volgarr the Viking is a hardcore-focused throwback to classic 2D action titles of the past. Released last month, it has already pleased many gamers looking for a challenge. After a successful Kickstarter and getting picked up...

Tomohiro Nishikado, the creator of the arcade classic Space Invaders, was just interviewed by The New Yorker, and he admits that he isn't very good at playing games, and that if "it been left up to me, Space Invaders wou...

In recent times, it seems like the term ‘reboot’ has been treated as an ugly word. The type of phrase that causes fans of a particular franchise to cringe and become fearful knowing their adored series is making s...

GOG.com has been celebrating its fifth birthday this week with plenty of giveaways, including free games. Today's announcement is interesting as it's added extra content to some classic Bullfrog titles, including Syndicate an...

[Another gem from Destructoid's Golden Archives, this our most popular story of April 2008]
As you’ve no doubt been following the prospective U.S. presidential nominees, you must be asking yourself several question...

Another World, or Out of This World to everyone in North America, just released its 20th Anniversary Edition on Steam today for Windows and Mac for $9.99. This edition first came out for iOS back in 2011, and now yo...

Mar 10 //
Taylor Stein
Gaming celebration with a personal twist
The trip down retro lane is a cherished monthly spectacle among my siblings and I. Every few weeks we put our adult lives on hold to relive the games from our youth. If there is any day that we truly unite as a family, it's while bonding over the classics. As painfully sappy as that sounds, videogames have always acted as a supernatural Band-Aid, mending all pissed off sentiments and sibling-based grudges.While we each were transformed into instant videogame buffs through the allure of the NES, many of our greatest memories reside with the N64. During our version of Old School Day, we welcome the titles that have contributed to the process of shaping us into the people we are today. Super Mario 64, Goldeneye, Star Fox, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Super Smash Bros., Pokemon Stadium, Rampage, Banjo-Kazooie and Yoshi's Story just to name a few, form the framework of the evening. Those titles served as the backbone of my childhood so it's rather fitting. Each time we get together, we sprinkle in a few different games, maximizing the fun output while minimizing the risk of getting bored through repetition, if that's even possible.Over the course of two to six hours of pizza-induced noshing, old school gaming, and admittedly potent languor, we've typically covered the spectrum of emotions from anger-filled multiplayer sessions, to heartwarming regard in response to a favorite cut scene. In diplomatic fashion, we take turns choosing the next entrant to revitalize our nostalgia, but in reality, any choice is a good one when you're playing favorite games amongst family and friends.
Old School Day rocks! Still not convinced?
With the next generation of consoles on the horizon, you may be hesitant to turn back the hands of time, to accept the glory of Old School Day. There's no way that earlier generations can compete from a graphical standpoint and not all of the oldies were auditory masterpieces, yet despite these technological inferiorities, the games that defined past generations exude a certain charm that often propels them into superior status. Reliving them for yourself is almost certain to conjure up sentiments such as, "Why don't they make games like this anymore?" rather than, "Yikes, I'll stick with the Xbox." Purchasing the titles through XBLA or PSN is technically a viable option, but summoning the warm feelings of familiarity is that much better in its authentic form. Re-experiencing the definitive moments of a simpler time, a period when eating vegetables and finishing homework were the main opponents of happiness, is satisfying on multiple levels. For one, rekindling ancient memories is enormously rewarding. Exploring old saved files and realizing that wow, I can't believe I actually collected all of those stars, puzzle pieces, coins, or heart pieces is always a heart-warming, ego-boosting find. I recall loading up my saved game from Harvest Moon 64. . . I had ten in-game years worth of gameplay on one file. That's more virtual years than I had spent on Earth at that time; how much would that achievement/trophy be worth? Equally as shocking is the realization that some aspects of older gaming were much more difficult than memory would serve. Conker's Pocket Tales on Gameboy Color was one such instance of perplexity. While I nearly finished the game as a kid and don't recall any Ninja Gaiden-like frustrations, with all my might I can barely get past the first level to this day. I must have had the child-like reflexes of a ninja or at least that's what I keep telling myself.
Conker-based inadequacies aside, dusting off your Atari 2600, Dreamcast, or other old console is guaranteed to fulfill your sense of humor as well. Things that were badass in the 1980s or 1990s are often hilarious now. Turok 64 death screams are absolutely priceless, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater has musical accoutrements that will transport you into the late '90s punk scene, and Gex 64 makes in-game references to the X-Files, Poltergeist, and Full House. Who needs a time machine when a gateway to your childhood is right within reach? The essence of forgotten trends and declining fads aids in sweetening any excursion into the past of gaming through hands-on reminiscence and a healthy dose of gut-busting laughter.
Beyond the arenas of personal achievement, hilarity, and frustration, hopping on the symbolic DeLorean in the name of Old School Day allows us to respect the pioneers within the industry, those instances of brilliance that set in motion what we now take for granted as technological commodities. Videogames as a medium have come so very far.
What started as a hodgepodge of pixels and simplicity has evolved into visual, narrative-driven masterpieces easily on par with cinema. Gaming may have been an obscure hobby decades ago, but whether you adhere to the pastime personally or not, it is impossible to ignore its significance on an economic, cultural, and political scale. The current discussions about videogames and gun control are a testament to that.
The industry boasts a powerful presence within the global landscape but also within my own life. I adopted Old School Day as reminder of why I became a gamer in the first place: the fun times with friends and family, the lessons learned from macho protagonists, the ability to step into the shoes of countless characters, and the satisfaction felt from saving the world, galaxy, or universe. If you find yourself in a place of gaming stagnancy, my hope is that after reading this, you'll incorporate a bit of Old School Day into your life and join me in celebrating retro gaming on a regular basis.What are your favorite older games? Do you ever take a break from new releases to play titles from the past?[Note: If you own Pokémon Stadium 2, follow my instructions without restraint for guaranteed laughs. Visit the mini games section and select Streaming Stampede. Make sure to play with the company of an easy or normal com and watch the stupidity ensue. Enjoy!]
Image Sources: [1][2][3][4][5]

Screw beer pong, hand me that controllerGamers are a diverse breed. From PC aficionados and console fanatics, to retro devotees and casual admirers, there is no one-size-fits-all model of videogame hobbyist. Though we possess many differences, like game preferences...

One thing that GOG.com has been missing is the ability to buy a whole franchise or series of games for a special discounted price, outside of their special promos. Well, it seems like the classic games store have been thinkin...

The Game Developers Conference brings back the Class Games Postmortem series for the third year this March. Today they've revealed scheduled postmortems for oldies but goodies like Myst, X-COM: UFO Defense, Crystal ...

If you're looking at the current batch of Kickstarter projects as a way for people to bring back genres and titles that have fallen from favour over recent years, then War for the Overworld might interest you. If you've been...

MonkeyPaw Games tells us that they're currently in talks with SCEA to bring Tomba! 2 to the PlayStation Network. They're looking at a direct port that they hope will be PS Vita ready on day one. That would be nice!
I'm guessi...

At one point, Space Harrier, the Sega classic created by Yu Suzuki, had a nebulous release date -- now we know for sure that it's gracing the Japanese eShop next week. The 3DS version will of course feature 3D visuals, in add...

Nov 14 //
Ian Bonds
Warlords (PlayStation Network [reviewed], Xbox Live Arcade)Developer: Griptonite GamesPublisher: AtariReleased: October 9, 2012 (PSN) / November 14, 2012 (XBLA)MSRP: $9.99 (PSN) / 800 Microsoft Points (XBLA)
The game itself is fairly straightforward: two to four players guard a castle by maneuvering a shield at the front gate to not only block fireballs from destroying your own castle walls, but to also ricochet them to take out your opponents'. It plays like an awesome hybrid of Combat, Breakout, and to a certain extent, Pong, as each hit depletes the strength and structure of your walls until they're all knocked down and a final fireball entering the castle knocks them out for good. For this iteration, however, they've thrown in a few new features to liven things up.
As multiple shots bounce around the stage, if timed right, you can catch one with your shield and charge it as a shot for more damage to your enemies' walls. However, the longer you charge it, the more your wall will be damaged until it's released. These attacks can be utilized to your advantage, as bank shots can slip past your foes' guard, and the shot, while charged, cannot damage your own wall once released onto the field.
As more fireballs are dropped into the battlefield (by a flying dragon, no less) the action becomes chaotic, with a possible total of five fireballs on the screen at once. Once a castle is taken out, the number drops back to one fireball, and increases incrementally again as the other castles follow suit. This keeps the action varied enough so that each player is constantly adjusting to each new attack.
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One of the biggest new additions, however, is the inclusion of your minions, known as Snoots. These goofy little creatures are used for a variety of tasks, such as repairing your own walls, directly damaging your opponents, or gathering power-ups for bonuses and take-down assists from your fireball attacks. You direct a flag-carrying Snoot with the right analog stick and his troops will follow him blindly, even attacking enemy Snoots on the battlefield, taking each other out at a one-to-one ratio. The more you lead, the more chance you'll win against opposing forces when trying to stand on one of the power-up icons on the field in order to fill a meter to obtain troop invincibility, shield extenders, or the ability to slow or reverse the controls for your opponents' shields.
Juggling control of the Snoots while deflecting fireballs with your shield is difficult enough, but careful concentration on this real-time-strategy element of the gameplay can really turn things in your favor. Thankfully, the main tasks of healing your wall, attacking your opponents, and running to the power-up battlefield icons are also each hot-keyed to a direction on the D-pad to make things a bit easier to control in the heat of battle.
Is that not enough for you? How about we throw in a Black Knight, who will randomly appear to start bashing in everyone's walls? Your Snoots can attack him, but the White Knight power-up is what's best for allowing them to stand a chance. You can also direct the fireballs toward him, but that only makes him mad, and if he isn't attacking you before you launch one his way, he will be soon after.
All of this may sound like overkill and a bit much to handle -- and in some heated battles, it is -- but that's part of the beauty of this game. The micromanagement of the Snoots never feels intrusive and the Black Knight only shows up often enough to be a mild nuisance. There's a careful balance in effect here that each of these play mechanics feel like an enhancement rather than just a cheap gimmick. I worried initially that I wasn't going to be able to handle every new gameplay feature, but I found myself preferring the new techniques over the classic mode.
The graphic presentation is a highlight -- as well as where the game starts to see its downfall. While the characters of the Snoots are entertaining and in some cases downright funny, the framerate in battles can slip and stutter on occasion, making battles stretch out a bit more than you might like. Still, the color coordination of your own Warlord, Snoots, their castle, and charged attacks keep things in focus; the framerate issue only presented itself in a couple of matches, never really hindering gameplay. The battlefield can be viewed at a 3/4 isometric view or in classic overhead, though the action is a little tougher to follow in the former. The sound is also excellent, with an entertaining announcer's deep bass vocal echoing through battles over heavy metal guitars.
For a downloadable title, there's plenty of game modes on offer including the invaluable tutorial mode, a short-but-fun campaign, single-player vs. CPU, and of course local and online multiplayer. The campaign tacks on a rather unnecessary storyline, but it's short enough that you won't care, and it serves as a good way to get some practice in before tackling friends in battle. While playing against AI-controlled enemies has its merits, nothing compares to fighting against real people, and the inclusion of local multiplayer along with online brings those glorious old-school memories back.
More than just an HD remake, Warlords adds enough new things while keeping the core gameplay at its heart to make everything fresh and fun. It may not be a perfect game with the (thankfully occasional) framerate dips and a story mode that could honestly have been left out, but it's certainly an entertaining one, and a blast to play with others.
And with online play, I don't get punched in the arm nearly as much when I win.

Hey! You got your RTS in my BREAKOUT clone!In the '80s, if you had three friends over who all wanted to play Atari with you, there was really only one game you would reach for.
Warlords was the go-to game for multiplayer combat, and it was also the source for many fru...